


Out of the Unexpected

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: Marco Polo (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassination Attempt(s), Enemies to Friends(?) to Lovers(?), F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-14 09:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15386025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: As twisted punishment, Mei Lin becomes Empress Chabi’s bodyguard.





	Out of the Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ConvenientAlias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/gifts).



> Title from Sappho - I'm a simple woman. Enjoy!

Mei Lin’s ears were not working. That was the only explanation. She frowned, trying to process the information that she was to serve as bodyguard to Empress Chabi. It must be a sick joke – the Khan would never let her anywhere near his beloved consort after what she had done.

Ahmad cleared his throat. “You are to wash and report to the Empress.”

She stared at him. “What is your role in all this? What is your gain?” Her voice was low, full of suspicion.

“I have none,” he said, turning to leave. “Don’t keep her waiting.”

Mei Lin watched his retreating form, then collapsed against the wall. _She_ of all people, the one who had attempted to take Empress Chabi’s life, now had to keep her from harm. Mei Lin sighed and closed her eyes. She needed a moment.

Once she had collected her thoughts, she went over to the washbowl and scrubbed herself as much as she could. Perhaps working for the Empress would give her access to a bath; she missed proper baths. Since she had no other clothes, she remained in her white robe and opened the door to Ahmad’s chambers. The servant waiting outside, a stern silver-haired woman named Sube, explained that Mei Lin was to come with her.

Mei Lin glanced at the guards, then nodded. “Very well,” she said, as if she had a choice.

She followed the servant through the corridors of the palace, trying to ignore the guards’ stares. Now she was not trusted, the guards were there to restrict her rather than protect her, and she did not appreciate the experience. She did, however, appreciate that the further they got from Ahmad’s chambers, the more sunlight there was. The stench grew less, too.

They entered a small room in Empress Chabi’s section of the palace. Beautiful fabrics littered the room. A bale of pink Chinese silk caught Mei Lin’s eye, reminding her of home. She smoothed her face.

“You will wear these.” Sube held up a plain brown tunic and woollen leggings.

Mei Lin took the clothes and raised her eyebrows as she took a good look. These clothes were made for action; they had no decoration or aesthetic appeal. These clothes would strip away her sexuality. Interesting, she thought, but not inexplicable: The Empress was preventing her from using sex as a tool or weapon. She reminded herself it did not matter, that her only desire was to live to see her daughter again.

“Put them on.”

Mei Lin stared at the woman, who stared back. Realising she would not receive privacy to change, she removed her robe and put on the new clothes. Once she was comfortable, she began plaiting her hair.

“I need a ribbon,” she told Sube.

Blank-faced, the woman handed her a small black ribbon. Mei Lin tied off her braid and stood straight.

“Is there anything else?” she asked, the slightest hint of displeasure in her voice.

Sube shook her head. “You will report to the Empress now. Follow me.”

Once again, Mei Lin followed Sube down the palace hallways. They passed a few familiar faces, but these people blanked her, and she could not fault them – when one attempted to assassinate a beloved royal, one did not receive warm welcomes afterwards.

At last, they approached Empress Chabi, who was sitting at breakfast and froze on their arrival. Sube prodded Mei Lin, signalling for her to kneel, which she did, keeping silent and still.

“Thank you, Sube,” the Empress spoke. Sube left.

Mei Lin, her face touching the floor, held her breath.

“You, rise.”

Exhaling, Mei Lin began to get up.

“Not that far.”

She remained on her knees. Making sure her expression was neutral, she dared lift her head and look at the Empress.

“You know why you are here.”

Mei Lin cleared her throat. “Yes, Empress.”

“It must be confusing for you, to be appointed bodyguard of someone you tried to kill,” said Chabi. Mei Lin thought she could detect a small trace of humour in her voice. “I spared your life because it was useful to me, do you understand?”

Mei Lin glanced down to avoid Chabi’s strong gaze. “Yes, my lady.”

“Good.” The Empress got up from her chair and stood over Mei Lin. “You have been allowed to live, but you must earn it. In this position, your life will be forfeit if you fail to protect me from whoever wishes me harm. You will be more closely scrutinised than you were as a concubine, so you will not get away with anything.”

“I understand, my lady.”

The Empress went on to explain Mei Lin’s duties and how she was expected to behave. She was not to cavort with anyone in the court, nor with any servants, and she must sleep on the floor in Chabi’s bedchamber. Mei Lin had to fight to keep her expression neutral – after years of palace life, she was accustomed to luxury, and sleeping on Ahmad’s floor was beginning to affect her spine. Still, anyone in the palace would say she was lucky to be alive, so she dared not show surprise or displeasure.

Mei Lin was also allowed no weapon. When she asked how she was expected to fend off any attackers, Chabi said, “I have seen you in action; you have no need of a blade. Besides, if you are unarmed, you do not look like a threat and will catch any assailants off guard.”

Mei Lin did not argue with that.

* * *

The days that followed were long indeed. All Mei Lin did was follow the Empress around and ignore strange looks from other servants. Sometimes, she had to accompany Chabi to the Khan’s throne room while he held court, an act she suspected a test, as everyone who looked at her did so with burning hatred in their eyes. She did not reward them with a response.

Now long after she lost track of how long she had been Chabi’s bodyguard, everything changed. It was a day like any other, the Empress preparing to meditate, Mei Lin observing nearby she picked up the unwelcome sound of a sword being unsheathed. She whipped around to face a dark-clothed figure swinging a sword. Her jaw dropped when she recognised him as one of her brother’s henchmen. Her heart raced.

“Empress!” she warned as the assassin approached.

She waited until he was right in front of her before she moved, kicking him in the chest. He held his ground and swiped at her. She ducked while in what seemed like the far distance, Chabi called for guards. Mei Lin and the assassin continued to exchange blows, but he had a blade and the upper hand, and she could not keep blocking him for long. Just as she felt her energy begin to fade, he struck her on the side of the head, knocking her down. As the room began to spin and she heard the guards forcing open the doors, the assailant advanced on Empress Chabi.

Mei Lin was certain she would be too slow. She moved anyway, getting back up and lunging towards Chabi, grabbing her and pushing her out of the way. Mei Lin screamed as the assassin’s blade pierced her from behind. She collapsed on top of Chabi and knew nothing more.

* * *

It hurt to open her eyes. She groaned and closed them once more. She listened to the room and picked up someone else’s breathing. She must be safe.

“Jing Fei?” she murmured.

“No.” The voice belonged to Empress Chabi. “Who is that?”

Mei Lin’s heart sank. “She is none of your concern.” She opened her eyes again, groaning as light filled them, and saw the Empress standing over her. “Where am I?”

“You are in my quarters, healing from a grave injury. Do you recall how you received the wound?”

Mei Lin frowned, thinking. “I was stabbed. An assassin sent to kill you…” She gasped. “Sidao, it was his doing.”

“We suspected as much.” Chabi nodded, then sat in the chair beside the bed. It may have been Mei Lin’s imagination, but Chabi seemed less stern today. “You saved my life at personal cost. For this, I am willing to do something for you. Your daughter lives within the palace walls; I will permit her to visit you while you recover.”

Tears pricked Mei Lin’s eyes; she could not believe it. “Thank you,” she replied in a hoarse whisper, trying not to sob in front of the Empress. “I am most grateful for your generosity.”

* * *

She was certain being reunited with her daughter aided her recovery. Having Ling Ling come and talk to her and sing for her and show off what she had learnt in their time apart meant more than she could express. The wound in her back was bad but seeing Ling Ling’s smile and being able to hold her seemed to make it hurt less.

After a while, she needed to see sunlight. She began to take short walks outside, with her daughter supporting her, and sometimes they came upon the Empress. Mei Lin dared not show it but watching Ling Ling’s excitement at seeing Chabi and Chabi’s obvious warmth towards Ling Ling made her stomach twist. Ling Ling was _her_ daughter, and she hated to imagine what ideas Chabi had placed in her head.

When Ling Ling talked about how Jing Fei had looked after her, Mei Lin’s heart ached. Since her attempt to kill the Empress, she had received no word from Jing Fei, and suspected what had happened, adding fuel to the already raging fire that was her hatred for Sidao.

Word had it the assassin had been executed and strung up at the palace gates. Mei Lin nodded when she heard the news, holding anger not towards the man but towards his affiliations.

When at last Mei Lin regained her strength, she returned to work. Things were different now, after the attack. Empress Chabi had two more bodyguards, both men who had been promoted, and extra guards were stationed outside the bedchamber. While that did not surprise Mei Lin, Chabi’s order that she sleep beside Chabi at night did. She reacted to this with a solemn nod – it would help protect Chabi from any nocturnal attacks – but when she thought harder about Chabi’s motivation, her lips curved in a wry smile. The Empress wanted her close, and not just for protection. Mei Lin saw right through her.

She did her job without complaint, even sleeping in Chabi’s bed. To her confusion, the Empress remained cold to her, but no longer cruel. Perhaps Chabi thought Mei Lin’s sacrifice to save her meant more than it did. Perhaps she was no longer taking Mei Lin’s assassination attempt as a personal betrayal. Either way, Mei Lin did not ponder on it for long.

Being by another’s side all day and all night was bound to affect one’s relationship with them. Mei Lin saw Chabi dress and undress, saw her take meals and interact with family and servants, saw her fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning. Chabi saw Mei Lin do the same. Sometimes, the two of them played with Ling Ling. Mei Lin shuddered to admit it, but her daughter probably thought of Chabi as part of her family now.

One morning, Chabi ordered Mei Lin to sit down to breakfast with her. Frowning, she sat.

“I wish to go riding today,” announced Chabi as she poured tea into two cups. “Do you ride?”

“No, my lady,” replied Mei Lin, fighting a childish impulse to say she only rode men. She tucked into her breakfast.

“That is a shame,” said Chabi, pushing one teacup towards Mei Lin and drinking from the other. “All Mongol women know how to ride. I should like to instruct you, if you are willing.”

It took effort not to grin. “I would like that, my lady.”

Chabi smiled. “Good.”

Mei Lin nodded, and turned her attention to her food. She glanced up when she heard Chabi cough and then gasp for breath. “Empress?” She frowned.

Chabi’s hand fluttered to her chest. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks red as she struggled to breathe.

Mei Lin leapt from her chair, running to Chabi’s side. She yelled for help, for a physician. One of the guards went to fetch a healer right away. While Mei Lin waited, she loosened Chabi’s clothes and asked her if she could speak. Chabi’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. Mei Lin’s pulse raced, the physician’s hasty arrival not soothing it. She watched with crossed arms and an anxious mind as the physician diagnosed his patient.

“Poison,” he concluded.

The guards all turned to her. “No,” she said.

Before she thought to defend herself, they were upon her, grabbing her arms and dragging her away. She fought, kicking out and yelling her innocence. When they tossed her in a cell, she collapsed to the ground.

“It wasn’t me,” she sobbed. “I didn’t do it! I wouldn’t.”

The cell door closed behind her with a clang, and then she was alone in the dark.

* * *

The lack of sunlight in her cell prevented her from keeping track of the days. Her meals were few and far between, and she knew she must be beginning to smell. The stench of her own waste and that of other prisoners assaulted her nostrils at first, but in time she grew accustomed. What bothered her most, however, was the loneliness, having become used to the constant presence of Empress Chabi and all the different servants.

She worried about who was taking care of Ling Ling in her absence. She wondered what her daughter had been told, and wept at the thought of her feeling abandoned by her mother again. No-one listened to Mei Lin’s desperate screams.

After an unknown period of time, she had a visitor. Gasping, she hurried over to the door of her cell.

“Empress!” She gripped the cell bars. “You’re alive.” Her heart lightened, an internal sigh of relief.

The Empress regarded her with her usual masked expression, her paleness the only indication she had been unwell. “They say the healer’s timely arrival was a gift from heaven,” she said.

All too aware of what Empress Chabi must think, Mei Lin’s grip on the bars tightened, and she stared at Chabi with imploring eyes. “I called for help. I didn’t poison you, you must believe me, _please_.” She blinked back tears, readying herself for a death sentence despite her plea.

But it did not come. Instead, Chabi laid her hands on top of Mei Lin’s and said, “I believe you.”

Mei Lin’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. “Empress?” she whispered.

“You failed at your duty by allowing me to be harmed under your watch. But you also took a blade meant for me. That was unplanned, and I do not believe you did that only to poison me later. Am I correct?”

“Yes, my lady.” This time, Mei Lin blinked back tears of a different nature. She looked down at their touching hands and smiled. “Thank you.”

Chabi had a shadow of a smile too. With a featherlike touch, she stroked Mei Lin’s fingers. “My opinion means nothing if my husband does not agree. I will speak to him and advise your release.”

Mei Lin’s eyes glittered. She pressed against the bars to get closer to Chabi, slipping her hand through the bars to rub Chabi’s thigh. The Empress closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled, then opened them and walked away. Mei Lin’s heart sank. Her captivity was not over, and if the Khan had the final say, she did not think it would end in anything but her death.

* * *

She despaired in the dark, starving and stinking. She had no idea how long she had been left there when Sube came to her and freed her. Her heart raced as they walked the palace corridors on their way to Chabi’s quarters, reminding her of when Sube led her to Chabi’s quarters on her first day as Chabi’s bodyguard.

Noticing the lack of guards, Mei Lin asked where they all were.

“The Great Khan has left for Xiangyang,” explained Sube. “He will return only when he has conquered it.”

Mei Lin swallowed, though none she cared about remained living there. “Why am I here, Sube, and not rotting in my cell?”

Sube frowned at her, making no secret of her displeasure of Mei Lin. “After the Khan’s departure, the Empress demanded you be released and sent to her. First, you will bathe; I will provide you with new clothes.” She wrinkled her nose at Mei Lin’s appearance, or perhaps at her stench.

Mei Lin looked Sube in the eye. “Thank you,” she said.

Sube ignored her and continued to lead her through the palace. Once they reached Chabi’s quarters, Sube instructed some young servants to fill a bath, gesturing for Mei Lin to follow them.

She scrubbed until her skin grew raw. The dungeon filth was persistent, and it took longer than expected to get rid of it all. She washed her hair and trimmed her nails, and when she forced herself to get out of the bath at last, Sube had left a red robe for her. Mei Lin grinned as she picked it up.

Once she had dressed and done her hair, she felt herself again. Her plain brown clothes had robbed her of sexuality, and the translucent red robe returned it. Chabi had chosen this robe for a reason.

Now Mei Lin was allowed to go to the Empress. Again, there were half as many guards outside Chabi’s bedchamber than usual, which she supposed was because the Khan needed as great an army as possible to defeat the Walled City. Mei Lin noted this left the Empress vulnerable to attacks from parties other than the South Chinese. She would remember to inform Chabi of this in the morning.

Entering an imperial bedchamber devoid of servants, Mei Lin got to her knees and bowed. “Empress.”

“You may rise.”

Mei Lin stood and regarded Empress Chabi. Dressed in royal purple, she lounged on her bed, watching Mei Lin.

“You betrayed me once,” said Chabi, “and promised never to do so again, swearing to protect me. You failed – and faced punishment. Now you know what happens when you so much as blink, you will work harder, do you understand?”

Mei Lin glanced down. “Yes, my lady. I offer you my deepest apologies.” Indeed, every day in that cell after the poisoning, she had wished she had been more observant.

“I will not strip you of your position,” Chabi continued. “Convince me this is the best decision.”

Mei Lin saw the hunger in Chabi’s dark eyes, confirming – along with the red robe – the reason for her presence in this room. Holding Chabi’s gaze, she stepped over to the bed, taking her time. She waited for Chabi to nod before joining her on the bed and untying her own robe, exposing her breasts. She smiled as Chabi’s breath hitched. Chabi touched Mei Lin’s cheek and then her jaw, pulling her closer and bringing their lips together. It was Mei Lin’s first physical contact with anyone since Chabi had visited her cell, and it was only when she remembered she was kissing _the Empress_ , who was once her enemy, that she stopped herself from melting into it.

The night would be a passionate one. While Mei Lin could not distinguish which sentiments were genuine and which were not that night, their pleasure was real, and as she kissed the most intimate parts of Chabi’s body she did not wish to be anywhere else. In the morning, they would return to their roles as Empress and bodyguard. But for now, they were almost as lovers. Mei Lin was herself again.


End file.
